Yanidel Street Photography

This week, let’s go over two shots from two wonderful cities for street photography, Rome and nearby Buenos Aires.

If you would like your shot to go through this colum, please read here for instructions on how to submit. If you have already submitted a shot and it has not appeared yet, it will come soon !

“Untitled” by Steven Harrison

Canon 400D with 17-85mm zoom at 35mm, F5.6, 1/260, ISO800

Before I go into the details of the analysis, let me state that dog shots are often tricky. Indeed, a dog will always look good, so in some way that makes this type of pictures quite easy in that regard. Yet at the same time, it is extremely difficult for a dog shot to be more than a nice portrait. Interaction with the surroundings is expected in street photography and making that happen with a dog in not an easy task.

Composition
Steven went for a low vantage point of view and I would even guess that he ended up in his knees. This is great because it puts the viewer at the same level of the dog, or better said, we actually get the vision as a dog would. The choice to cut the human heads emphasizes even more this fact, indeedvdogs see mainly feet when they are in the street, not our cute but stressed faces.  On the topic of depth, the pictures’ three planes ensure that you get that impression and Steven did well in making sure that the legs in the store could be seen. The feet of passer-by’s show movement since they both form triangles. Note that a pair of legs and shoes can be seen on the far right behind the lady carrying the bag. This adds to the feeling of crowded street. I think the dog’s posture and expression is great, and the fact that he is in front of a black area helps make him stand-out. Yet I wonder how the picture would have come out if he had looked in the other direction. I point out this suggestion since the passer-bys all walk from right to left. The dog looking to the right could have therefore been a counter-point to the flow of the picture. Let’s leave that idea aside for the moment, I’ll come back to it. Another great aspect of this picture is the little details, such as the glasses in the man’s hand, the shoes in the upper store window, the feet postures of the two people in the store and the two cigs on the ground. They don’t really add to the meaning of the picture, but it keeps our eyes interested and looking around the frame. Finally, let’s end by a little less positive point which is the framing of the sidewalk border. I would have loved to see the whole sidewalk edge, allowing in some ways to showcase the scene on a sort of special stage.

Aesthetics
Steven set his zoom to the 35mm focal lenght (50mm equivalent on 24×36 format) for this shot and an aperture of F5.6. This was a sound choice since it allowed for a large depth of field, covering all subjects from the passer-by’s to the customers in the back of the store. Note that a smaller aperture could have been even better to make the sidewalk edge a bit more in focus. Thus it would have meant a lower shutter speed and most probably some motion blur due to the proximity of the subjects. The B&W processing is excellent with the right among of contrast. It is somewhat a pity that the woman carried a bright bag since it brings our eyes to that secondary element. This is no big deal though. Finally, I believe Steven added some vignetting to the shot. It does help to surround the action by defining edges, but it might be a bit too strong, especially on the bottom part. I used to add a lot of vignetting to my shots, but I have pretty much stopped. Indeed it always adds a sort of vintage look to the pictures, but in the end, can’t we just assume the period we ive in and leave our nostalgia aside ? ;)

Meaning / Mood / Meaning.
I mentioned the direction of the dog’s head earlier as I believe it is the key element to the understanding of the picture. By looking at the right, the dog follows the flow of the passer-by’s. That leads to the question, are they going somewhere specific or did something special just happen a few meters away ? Probably not, the dog is probably here just looking at the activity going on in front of the store. Had it looked to the right of the picture, a sense of wait would have been induced because of the direction of the traffic and give the idea of a master that left the dog for a while. All in all it doesn’t matter much, the message of the picture is clear which ever whay one wants to interpret it.

Opinion
The first time I looked at this shot, I immediately liked it. It has a mix of both that classic street photography look and a modern setting. The composition is very sound with many nice little details located in all planes. The processing suits perfectly the scene, except maybe for a bit too much vignetting. As for the meaning, several interpretations are possible but since we’ll never be in a dog’s head, it is probably best to leave it that way.

Discover more of Steven’s picture following this link. And don’t forget to check out his dog shots section if you are a fan of the genre.

“Fascinating reading” by Christophe Thillier

Leica M9 with 35mm Cron at F8, 1/60

Composition
The picture is separate in two areas with different light conditions, that is the shade area of the newsstand and the paved street bathed in sunlight. These two elements also from a triangle whose top is occupied by a man reading a magazine. Usually it is recommended that the main subject does not lay in the center of a frame, and it is in this case, yet it does not bother me due to the triangle construction. The street to the right adds depth to the shot by providing an open counterpoint to the barrier impression given by the newsstand.  Maybe a little crop to the left and the bottom part would balance the shot a bit more by taking out some of that large newsstand area. A few sympathetic details can be spotted by looking closer, that is the end of a broom, a woman in swimsuit on the back of the magazine and a whistle-like expression on the face of the man. As for the trash can, like any trash can, city infrastructure planners always seem to place them  in a bad location for street photography. This is proved once more in this shot. This being said, it would have been difficult for Christophe to find a different angle to avoid it and still keep a good composition. Finally, this shot was taken at F8 with 35mm lens on the Leica M9. By doing so, Christopher ensured that all planes were in focus, and I think it was a good decision since there was information on the various planes.

Aesthetics
This kind of scenes with a huge difference in light conditions are always difficult to make work. It is especially true when shooting in colors since the saturation of the colors will vary in the two areas. Nevertheless, I like a lot of the match of the dark reds and green tones, these are colors that always work well together. As for the exposure, and given the scene, this was probably the most logical choice. Yet I am bothered by the over-exposure of the street which is way too bright compared to the reminder of the picture. Perhaps Christophe could try a localized adjustment to tune it down a little. As for the garbage can, sorry to mention it again, it definitely does not help the picture aesthetically, I almost get the feeling that the man, a chair and the trash can are sitting at the same table.

Meaning / mood / feeling
That scene tells a lot about an aspect of life in Argentina. Indeed, people do enjoy a lot the morning breakfast a a coffee. It also illustrates the typical coffee and mineral water combo that is served in all bars. In some ways, this is almost a documentary shot of life in Buenos Aires. Nevertheless, the whistle shape of the lips of the man can hint to a secondary interpretation which is supported by the title of this picture. Indeed, the man is probably enjoying a fascinating reading (or viewing). The swimsuit girl in the back cover adds to that interpretation though it is unclear what the magazine is really about. A good street scene catch by Christophe though I feel he should have gotten closer to show better the relationship between the magazine and the man.

Opinion
I like the composition and the action going on in this shot. Yet it is plagued by two big problems of aesthetics. The first one is the trash can, which was difficult to leave out of the shot, but does harm the action happening around the table. The second one is the over-exposure of the street pavement, though I am sure Christophe could fix it in post processing. Perhaps Christophe could try to crop the shot slightly on the left, bottom and right (to remove part of the trash can) as it would center the action more on the man reading its magazine. I know heavy cropping is not the most elegant way to go about it, but  in this case, I would recommend it. In fact, the underlying point is that  Christophe should have probably gotten closer or used a 50mm focal length for that shot.

This week, let’s look at two shots from the UK.

If you would like your shot to go through this colum, please read here for instructions on how to submit. If you have already submitted a shot and it has not appeared yet, it will come soon !

“February Blues” by Christakis Schinis

Leica M9 with 50mm Summilux Asph at F1.4, 1/90, ISO1000

Composition
The scene is composed using the rule of thirds, though many of the lines do actually cross in the center section of the picture. There is a lot of depth in the shot which is always a good thing to preserve the three dimensionality of a scene. Christakis carefully framed since all key elements are well positioned in the frame (sculpture, windows, posts). Neverthless, I am not sure that the main subject was positioned in the best position possible. Indeed the umbrella of the girl finds itself in a middle of a flurry of shapes, be it the post, the windows or the triangle structure hovering over it. Since this is the key element, it bothers me somewhat. Perhaps Christakis should have waited for one more step and the girl would have been located in the middle of a more uniform orange light. It would also probably have helped to better distinguish her silhouette. Finally, take notice that Christakis was able to form a great triangle with the legs of the woman, perfect timing there.

Aesthetics
The lens used for this shot is the marvelous 50mm Summilux Asph, probably one of the very best lens. The shot was taken at F1.4 on a full format sensor, creating the out of focus plane behind the subject. I think Christakis used this aperture because of the low light conditions, and to keep a shutter speed that would still allow for acceptable sharpness. One can clearly identify the plane of sharpness by looking at the pavement. The girl with the umbrella finds herself in that plane so good job on the focusing. Nevertheless, since the girl is located on the dark side of the picture, my eyes get a bit too attracted by the very sharp zone on the lower right end of the picture. This creates a bit of a unbalance in my opinion. This feeling is further increased by the fact the the girl is slightly blurred. Indeed, at 1/90th, motion blur could not have been avoided and it does add a nice movement feeling to the scene. The light itself is gorgeous, though I do feel the shot is slightly under exposed. Given the 1/90 shutter speed shown in the EXIF data, it means that Christakis used the aperture priority mode of the M9. At night unluckily, the internal lightmeter often gets fooled by the various light sources, it is probably what happened in this instance.

Meaning / Mood / Feeling
Christakis titled this scene “February blues”. It illustrates one of the trap photographers often fall into. Is the title referring to the main subject depicted or to the photographer state of mind ? If it refers to the subject, then there is absolutely no element that sustain that the girl is in a “Blues mood”. She could actually be very happy, or simply hurried to get home. So watch out with the title you give to your shots, though obviously, it will always be the image that does most of the talking. As for the meaning of the picture itself, it is simply a scene of a probably cold rainy night. It is simple but effective, no need to always tell complex stories. Moreover, the picture stands as much for its general mood than the subject itself, I think Christakis depicted well the atmosphere of that night.

Opinion
On one side, the setting of the scene is well constructed both in terms of light and composition. The decorum was definitely there for a great street scene. I also feel the girl with the umbrella was a good choice of subject to include in this setting. Nevertheless, the shot kind of fails because of the position of the main subject. Probably by a step or two only. The left part of the picture is simply too dark and creates an unbalance with the right part. I wonder if increasing the exposure of the picture by half a stop and adding a further third of a stop to the left part of the picture could improve it. Maybe an experiment for Christakis to try.

Christakis started a street photography blog on Manchester a few months ago. Discover his daily pictures here.
Untitled by Khan

Canon 1000D with 17-50 2.8/f

Composition
This shot was probably taken as Khan walked by his subjects. I guess he raised his camera quickly to get as close as possible without being spotted. The resulting composition is very approximate. Indeed, the horizon line is bent and there is no real organization of the elements located  both in the first plane and the background. I would think that Khan got obnubilated by his central and good looking subject ;) This leads me to the point that one should always keep his attention on the background. This is often the difference between a good and great shot. Despite the unorganized background, Khan did include the typical British bus which in the case of this shot helps locate the action and adds a potential meaning to the shot.

Aesthetics
Khan probably shot this scene wide open to achieve selective focus on the girl located in the center of the frame. While selective focus is often a great tool to have one of the subjects stand out, I don’t think it was a wise decision to use it on this scene. Indeed, the picture is really about all the fellows dressed with the Argentinian football shirt, not only the girl in the center. Khan should have probably stopped down his lens to about F8.0 to get all subjects in focus. As for the exposure, it is spot on and the light is great. I also like the red and blue colors that were included in the frame, they are always interesting to work with. In this case, the red of the bus mixes well with the blue and white of the shirts.

Meaning / Mood / Feeling
Is this shot about a cute girl walking in the street or is it a disguised political message of the rivalry between Argentina and the UK ? Indeed, the Malvines war is only three decades old, so it could very well be an allusion to it. Or in other words, Argentinian beauty invades the streets of a UK city. If the shot was simply about a good-looking girl walking in the street (like suggested by the selective focus), then there is really no message to it and let’s call it a street portrait. Shooting attractive girls or boys in the street is very tricky because one often think that the picture will stand by itself just on the beauty of the subject. It might be true to the novice eyes but will result uninteresting to more expert  and scrutinizing eyes. Indeed, be it the composition, the light, the interaction or the mood, there must be more then a beautiful face in a picture.

Opinion
There is no doubt that Khan did spot a very interesting scene in the street, both in terms of subject and aesthetics. Yet it fails in most aspects, especially due to the approximate composition and selective focus. These shots are obviously very difficult to time correctly, there will always be a car, a passer-by in the background. Yet by giving as much attention to the background as one does to the key elements, one will frame having the whole picture in mind. It is no easy to achieve though and comes only with a lot of practice in the street. Still, I would suggest Khan to redress the horizon line in post processing, it will also frame tighter on the two girls and take out some of the distracting details (post and scarf on the left of the picture). The final output should still be a very pleasing street portrait.

For this week column, let’s head back to Europe and analyze work from photographers located in Germany and Austria.

If you would like your shot to go through this colum, please read here for instructions on how to submit. If you have already submitted a shot and it has not appeared yet, it will come soon !

Untitled by Konstantin Mihailov

Leica M8 with Voigtlander 50mm 1.1, at F1.1, 1/3000, ISO160

Compostion
Konstantin’s picture has a panoramic structure as the key elements all happen within a thin central band. A crop would definitely work here though I know most people like to remain with the original field of view of their picture, which is fine. There are three key elements in that picture, a man walking, a couple kissing and another man sitting on their right. I like how they are positioned though I would have preferred to have the man sitting on the right fully included in the field of view. Indeed, the main subject is the couple, yet the man being half cut distracts a bit away from them. Indeed I couldn’t help wondering why he was cut out. I think Konstantin should have included entirely in the frame as he is an essential to its reading. Konstantin took the shot with a rangefinder so  perhaps his initial intent was not to include that man as he is positioned roughly in the area corresponding to the camera’s safety factor. Anyways, that man still makes the picture more interesting, so it is good to have at least a bit of him. As for the couple, great timing here, the kiss is just perfect. Note the great interaction between the subjects as the two men look towards the couple, bringing further the attention towards them. Finally, remember to watch out for your reflection in the windows when you shoot … I am not sure it is Konstantin that I see in the back, but it could be ;)

Aesthetics
According to the Exif data, the shot was taken wide open. It does show as the foreground is slightly blurred as well as the man on the left. When I face situations like this one with a wall behind my main subjects, I usually tend to stop down my lens for a longer depth of field. Indeed, there will be no background blur so there is no real advantage to shoot with a large aperture. Konstantin might have chosen the large aperture for the special look it provides yet I usually find that that special looks are not enough to offset the problem of the thin depth of field it might bring to a shot. In this case, the man on the left is slightly blurred, not because of a low shutter speed but because it is not within the acceptable focus line. Not a big deal but something to keep in mind when you shoot wide open. Focus is spot on on the two lovers, good job since it is never easy to focus and shoot quickly with a rangefinder at that kind of aperture.
Konstantin used a Silver efex for the post processing which is very high contrast. Here it seems a question of preferences, but I find it a bit heavy on the dark. Indeed the shot has few tonalities and large pans of black almost give it an oppressive feel. Is it adecuate for a topic as light as love ? I guess Konstantin wanted to fully isolate his subjects from the surrounding to have the viewer focus on the three key elements. It does work doing so but a bit to the expense of the picture’s finesse. Another positive aspect of Konstantin’s processing is how the frame of the windows in the background appear to break a bit the horizontal composition. It also adds a mystery touch to the picture.  Lastly, remember that both heels should preferrably be on the ground when you shoot walking subjects, it always improves the picture when the legs form a perfect triangle and give a clear reading on the person’s whereabouts.

Meaning / mood / feeling
This is a light and easy scene to read. Two lovers kiss under the eyes of passer-bys. One of two men almost has an envious look while the other is laughing. It shows some of the many reaction of humankind towards love. There is no ambiguity on the meaning of this shot, just a pleasant urban scene about love. Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

Opinion.
I would have really liked to have the man on the right fully included in the frame to clearly close that love triangle. I also think the post processing is a bit too strong on the darks. This apart, timing was almost perfect, the message is clear and Konstantin triggered at the perfect time. A decisive moment shot I would say. I would suggest Konstantin to try a panoramic version of this picture, it would probably look great printed this way.

To discover more about Konstantin’s photography (as well as several other interesting centers of interest), click here for imperfiction.com.

Untitled by Axel Cordes

As an introductory comment, Axel asked me whether pictures taken within museum count as street photography ? The answer is in my opinion yes, provided there is an interaction between a human element and the museum setting.

Canon 5D with Zeiss 35mm ZE F2.0 at F2.0, 1/400, ISO400

Composition
Axel’s topic is quite unusual and allowed for creative framing. Round shapes are obviously not always easy to include in a rectangular frame of view. By centering the artwork, I think Axel took a good decision as it creates equidistant lines to the border of the frame. I wonder though if it would not have been even better to include the full circle in the frame. Indeed by leaving the lower part out, it almost feels like Axel did not go the full way of his original creative intend. As for the woman’s position, it respects the geometry of the picture since she located in the center of the picture. Note that her head is the center point of the circle, very smart choice from Axel here.

Aesthetics.
The main problem when shooting artwork in street photography is to avoid making it the key aesthetic element of your picture. Indeed, it sometimes feels like the photographer relies on the skill of an other artist to make its picture interesting. In Axel’s picture I don’t think it is the case since the woman and the circle create an association where both subjects are of equal importance. At the same time, both elements seem to melt in each other since they use roughly the same color tones. I am not expert in colors, but I feel the red and brown tones in this picture bring a feeling of coziness, probably emphasized by the coat of the woman. I also like a lot how the blond hair of the woman brings contrast to the red and brown tones. Same can be said of her scarf which brings a different shape, almost like a fluid flowing from the circle’s center. I also liked the detail in the woman’s hair as well as her square shaped earring, I think it might tell about her personality.  Finally, I think there is a slight under exposure on the shot. I would suggest Axel to increase it by a half to a full stop to bring some more pop to the picture.

Meaning / mood / feeling.
This is a very difficult shot to interpret meaning wise. The color of the circle reminds me some of Rothko’s work, which was known to spend hours in front of his paintings in contemplation. Did Axel follow this line of idea ? There is no element to sustain it but that leads me to the main issue with that picture which is the woman’s behavior. What is she doing ? I looked at this picture for a long time and could not get a clear reading on her expression and attitude. Is she lost in her thoughts ? Is she looking at the paint texture ? Has she a hard time understanding the meaning of the painting ? Several interpretations can be given to that scene yet none seems more evident than the others. Evidently, the choice can be left to the viewer. Yet I usually like when the meaning of a picture is pretty straight forward, even if it requires a very meticulous read of the picture.

Opinion
In terms of composition and aesthetics, I think Axel did a great job. Add a bit more exposure and this will be a very pleasant picture to look at. I wonder how it would have looked framed slightly wider, encompassing the full circle and maybe even part of her legs. My main regret is that Axel wasn’t able to record more precisely the woman’s state of mind or behavior. The goal of street photography is not to depict the truth, it is impossible, yet to give enough elements to the viewer to come up with his own interpretation. Here I am left in between, I could not come up with my own story. I’d love to know though what was Axel’s interpretation of the woman’s behavior.

Click here to discover more about life in Vienna and Axel’s work.